Interdisciplinary Learning Community Faculty Team Recognized with Academic Connection Award from University Residences
April 12th, 2019
Nastasha Johnson (left), assistant professor, and Michael Witt (center), associate professor, both in the Purdue University Libraries and School of Information Studies, accepted the Academic Connection Award for the Engineering in the World of Data Learning Community faculty team from Associate Director of Residential Academic Initiatives Jonathan Manz (right).
Faculty in the Purdue School of Engineering Education, Purdue University Libraries and School of Information Studies, and the Purdue Department of English engaged 53 engineering students in the Engineering in the World of Data Learning Community in compelling outside-of-the-classroom activities to enhance student learning.
University Residences at Purdue University recently recognized outstanding faculty, staff, and resident assistants involved in learning communities for their exceptional work during the 2018-19 school year.
Faculty and staff who led the Engineering in the World of Data Learning Community were honored with the Academic Connection Award, which recognizes the learning community that best connects courses to learning experiences outside of the classroom.
Kim Riddle (center, far end of table), director of engineering at Proctor and Gamble, meeting with the students who took part in the Executive Boardroom Simulation.
Instructors from the Purdue School of Engineering Education, Purdue University Libraries and School of Information Studies, and the Purdue Department of English organized a variety of active learning activities with the 53 engineering students in the learning community, including:
Dawn or Doom: Students attended the conference, as well as a presentation about how to present data effectively (sponsored by the Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies) by Jenny Lyons from Evergreen Data. Lyons also had lunch and talked with the engineering students about careers in data science.
Engineering students engaging in the Python with Pythons activity, during which they solved a programming challenge using the Python scripting language.
Executive Boardroom Simulation: 10 students were selected to meet with Kim Riddle, director of engineering at Proctor and Gamble, to role play lead engineers and board members presented with two problems to solve: scaling up production of Tide Pods and increasing and retaining women employees at the company.
Python with Pythons: The LC instructors partnered with Columbian Park Zoo to bring in snakes and their data (how much they eat and weigh) along with a programming challenge to solve using the Python scripting language.
Field trip to Cummins Technical Center: Students traveled to Cummins to tour the company’s research and development facility, experiment with virtual reality and the firm’s modeling and simulation environment, learn about careers for engineers in data science, and talk with experts on applications of machine and deep learning in industry.
Faculty on the instruction team for the learning community include:
Purdue Head Men’s Basketball Coach Matt Painter poses with the instructors and students in the “Engineering of the World of Data” learning community in Mackey Arena (Fall 2018). Photo courtesy of Teresa Walker, Purdue School of Engineering Education.Filed under: faculty_staff, general Article tags: active learning, Awards, data science, engineering, learning community
